Filmed in April of 1995 at the Women's encampment at the Menwith Hill military base outside Harrogate, England, this program aired in February of 1996 as an episode of “The Flying Focus Video Bus” program. The Flying Focus Video Bus describes itself as "a weekly half-hour program featuring video used as a tool for social change, voicing the voiceless." Video of a distant hilltop with large, white, golf ball-shaped forms is shown in the distance. This is Menwith Hill, the most secretive U. S. base in Britain. Critics say that this base is run by the United States National Security Agency (NSA), and is capturing all electronic telecommunications passing through Western Europe. Members of Parliament are not allowed to publicly ask questions about the base while in an open Parliament session. The women's camp outside the base has been there full time for almost a year at the time of the interview, and was there on weekends before that. In April, 1995, the women received an eviction order under Section 77 of the Criminal Justice Act. They are expecting to be forcibly evicted in the coming weeks. They have been there protesting against the secrecy, and the alleged illegal actions taking place at the base. The base has been expanded, with more radomes, the giant “golf balls,” being erected. These are satellite dish covers. The protestors say this equipment is capturing not just military communications, but public and commercial traffic, as well. They say that the NSA’s partners, part of the military-industrial complex, are using this information to promote their arms sales in the Third World. As of this taping, in April 1995, there had already been 20 arrests of protestors. At one point, the woman speaking notes that they are being observed by Ministry of Defence police officers. The responses and Parliamentary developments after the airing of the BBC 4 program "Dispatches" episode about Menwith Hill is discussed, as are upcoming solidarity actions around the world.
Closed Captioning is available in the video controls.
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